Javier Aguirre takes responsibility after Valencia’s defeat to Villarreal

After Valencia’s 2-1 defeat to Villarreal at Mestalla, Javier Aguirre took responsibility for his team’s mistakes and described the loss as especially painful. The club are still waiting for their first win since the coach arrived on the Valencia bench. “Distractions, individual issues… the blame is obviously mine, because I choose who plays and how,” Aguirre said, before acknowledging that it was a “very painful defeat.”

The match’s course added to the sting: Valencia went into half-time ahead after Pepelu converted a penalty. The team remained in a position to take all three points into the closing minutes, but eventually gave way, conceding the decisive goal in added time. Aguirre did not single out his players after the match. Instead, he accepted responsibility for the errors that cost his side the result.

The coach also declined to weigh in on refereeing decisions that shaped the match, including the penalty awarded to Valencia and the dismissal of a home-team player in the second half. Asked about those decisions, he replied: “In 50 years since I came into football, I have never spoken about that, and today will be no exception.” He also said he would address his squad before speaking to reporters: “First I’ll tell them, and then you.”

The defeat adds to a winless start to Aguirre’s tenure: his first three matches have brought two draws and one loss. He stressed the need to keep working to find a way to win soon. Despite the result, the coach defended the work carried out over the opening weeks and voiced confidence in the team’s development. “We have to carry on, there is a lot of league left and, I think, we are on the right track,” he said. His message paired accountability for this setback with a determination to continue the work already under way.